Being Green is so 2009! Time to Move On?

Audi rule themselves out as a green brand as the concept may have finally become over used.

Despite picking up green awards right left and centre and in a bizarre move against convention Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has been making some strange claims.

Most companies are falling over themselves to show just how green they are and how great they are at saving the world but not Audi.

Mr Stadler has recently told What Car? that Audi is not a green car brand commenting,

“We're convinced in Vorsprung Durch Technik, we're a dynamic, sporty brand, but not necessarily positioned as a green brand. That will come about as a matter of course.”

“We want to take out weight and want to further diesel and FSI technology. We can still improve fuel consumption. But we will not position Audi as a green car brand - we will fulfil regulations - but we are also an emotional brand.”

He also took the opportunity to have a slight dig at some other manufacturers, namely their big German rivals BMW claiming their EfficientDynamics is a, “catch-all marketing claim.”

Audi want to position themselves a brand concerned with driving dynamics rather than green issues. Appealing to a younger demographic they will still make their cars economical to run but not no compromise on performance.

The new Audi A8, for example, will be around a fifth more economical like-for-like than the outgoing car. They have commented on the use electric cars in their fleet and will not be spending money research until an electric alternative can compare to a standard Audi.

This news sounds exciting as the new Audi e-tron, the R8-based electric supercar that was unveiled at Frankfurt, is currently penned in for a 2012 release so they must hav some good technology up their sleeve.

The whole things points to something we’ve discussed since the green car issue arose. Many people, firstly, are doing it to save petrol and consequently money, not save the earth. Secondly, like anything there is a limit to how much can be forced down your throat until you don’t want anymore.

With the climate change sceptics getting more air time and the sheer mass force feeding of green issues, it is only a mater of time before people switch off.

Maybe this is a turning point as people get bored of climate change and green living; this could be the beginning of the end.

E. Dooley

13/12/2009